Dirigible flying-machine.



' E. E. STEINHAUS. D IRIGIBLE FLYING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 20, 1907.

Patented 39 06.22, 1908..

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E. E. SIEINHAUS.- "DIRIGIBLE PLYING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED APR. 20, 1907.

Patented Sept. 22, 1908. 3 sums-sum z.

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- E. STEINHAUS. D-IRI'GIBLE FLYING MACHINE. APPLICATION I ILED APB. 2'0; 1907.

Patented Sept. 22, 1908.

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" mmnm being then applied It is further an qbject of this invention toprovide anefficient machine of great strength parts in longitudinal vertical section. is an end'ele'vation' of the same. Fi 4-isa section on line 4 -4 of; Fig- Twit parts' removed.

EWALD E, STEINHAUS, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

A 'DIRIGIB'LE FLYING-MAOI-HNE.

Specification of Letters Patent. 7

Patented Sept. 22, 1908.

Application filed A ruao, 1907. Serial at; 369,215.

To all whom it mam.-

'- Be it known that I',1;EwALi) E. semantics,

a citizenof the-United'States'; and. aresident of the city of Chicago,the county oflOook new and'u'se'ful Improvements in Dirigible Flying-Machines; and 'I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying" drawings,- and to the letters of reference marked This lnvention relates to improvements dirigible flyin machines and particularly to that class in w 'ch gas bags are not re uired,

but which receive am initialyelocity. af rising om the ground. Y

It is an important-object of invention to provide a machine in vwhich bothv-- aeroplanes and adequate power 'are'utilized in ifting and propelling "the machine and its load and in which when raised to the desired height the aeroplanes alone are adapted to support thewelght of the machine-when travelmg approximately horizontally, the power directly to propulsion.

and light weight having few-parts, and those easily assembled, and which can becheaply built and maintained.

The invention consists in the matters hereinafter, described and-more fully pointed out and defined in the ap ended claims.

- In the drawings igure 1 is a sideelevation of a device; embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a view in side elevation, shtFViIlg I ig. 3

As shown in the drawi s: A represents a 1ts middle" toward its pointed ends. Said body may be of any suitable material to afo the groun ford reat strength with light weight. En-

ga e transversely to said body near each en are axles a, provided with wheels a,'- -a/ which support said car when in contact with Rigidly enga ed to said car A, dear each end and the mid le, are standards or uprights BB' and B provided with adjustable mutually alined bearings a, at their upper ends inwhich a tubular shaft, comhereon, which form a part oft'his specification.

" said shaft section prising sections is rigidly engaged. As shown, said standard B is the shortest and the standards B and B are of suflicient 'length to afford avdesired inclination of said and Stateof Il1 l0i halve Invented certain.

shaft. Motors B? andB of any suitable kind, are firmly engaged'on the standards B B -and inclosing the same are the motor totplof. said motorcasing b is a I ousing 6 in w 'ch the ends ofthe sections C-C are rigur ose of aflor access to said motors,

, idly engaged, as shown in Fig. 2. For the ad ers are rovide leading from the car to the topof t e standards and, asshow'n, for

this urpose stri s b of thin metal or other suit-a le materia are bolted or otherwise socured to the dipper and lower ends of the and standards an transverse cleats 6 are fastened thereto in any suitable manner J ournaled in said sections OO are shafts-D--D-- the inner ends of which project through the housings .b, and are journaled in suitable ball bearing dot-any suitable kind is proends.

bearings in the endsof the section C. A j

80. vided' for' each-of said shafts. at their outer A" ropeller wheel of two or-any F buckets is secured. to the outer 5 .end'ofeachaoi said shafts D--D-. On the-Q inner endof each shaft is providedl'a sprocket wheel Le, which is driven from 'a sprocket wheele, on the motor shaft, by means of a sprocketchain e J ournale on each end of balancefwheel for the motor. Said gear a is provided with a hub e Qn the outer end of against the end of the hub e and-firmly 'se cures the same from longitudinal movement; body or car of considerab e length, as'co m-l pared with its width, and which tapers from- Journaled on each'sectional shaft C-Cf O- is a gear 0 adapted-to intermesh with a gear e on the motor; shaft, in said-gear casing b-,,- nd-which serves as the are aeroplanes G, G Gian d G which are free torotate but are firmly held from movement longitudinally of the shaft. For this ur-,

pose the hubs'of said aeroplanes G, G an abut against the bearings 'on said standards and are firmly held said position bym'eans of collars g, g and g and, the aeroplane G is secured from longitudinal movement by;

means of collars g and g all of which are provided with set screws to firmly hold the same in adjusted position. Said aeroplanes, as shown, icoinprise a hub h, to which are see cured in any suitable manner radial blades h, at right angles to each other. Rigidly bracing said blades are concentric rings or hands h -h which are secured to the side thereof in any preferred manner to form a rigid construction and, as shown, one is positioned near the irub and the otheris of greater diameter and fastened a corresponding distance from the outer ends of said blades. Securely fastened to said ring h and positioned centrally between said blades h are shorter blades h which extend to the outer circumference coincident with the ends of said blades -h, and are-securely fastened attheirsides to the ring or band h A plurality of short outer blades h are positioned between the blades h and h, and are secured at one end to the rings h and their outer ends extend the the same radial distance from the hub as the blades h and h. 4 The outer ends of all of said'blades hh and h? are rigidly braced and held in unvarying relation by means of wires or cords h, which may be of any' desired number and extend around the periphery of said aeroplane.- Any suitable steering mechanism may be provided but,"as shown, rudders II are pivoted to said standards B and B and are each provided with two. tillersii, adapted to be operated .varied.

simultaneously by tiller ropes i, which extend along each side of thecar and through suitable eyes i 7? and at their ends are se-= cured to the corresponding tillers of the rudders.

The operation is as follows: When startin and while the machine is'obtaining its initia velocity, said device travels on the ground on the wheels a/ a. As the velocity increases the aeroplanes gradually lift the machine from theground and the rate of ascension depends upon velocity andthe inclination of said" aeroplanes. The height from the ground at which said maclnne travels in a horizontal position-depends upon the acquired velocity, as a certain speed is necessary before the aeroplanes are self supporting. As long as the machine-travels at the required-speed it continues to travel in this horizontal position. It is now obvious that if the velocity is decreased the machine gradually descends and that at any point in the descent we "may again cause the machine to travel in a horizontal position by.

increasing the velocity sufficiently or may ascend by increasing the velocity above the speed required for soaring. If however, it is desired to ascend without changing the power necessary for the aeroplanes to sustain the machine in a horizontal plane, it

.may be accom lished by shifting the center of gravity or t e ballast to the rear end of the car. At any point in the ascent the machine may be made to again assume a horizontal position by shifting the center of gravity or ballast to normal. The direction of travel is readily controlled by actuating the tillers which simultaneously shifts both rudders to act in either direction.

Easy access 1:; had to the motors by means .ofthe ladders at each end of the car for starting and stopping the same or if preferred the motors may be controlled by mechanism operated from the car. i

If preferredthe standards may be adjustable and providedwith mechanism for si-. multaneously adjusting the same thereby varying the angle of inclination and consequently the rate of ascent and descent.

By my form of aeroplanes it will be seen that the greatest'possible sustainin effects are provided owing to the relatively great length and narrow width and that the resultant area of'all the bladesis the greatest possible to obtain in such a compact form and with light weight.

Difierent forms of rudders maybe used or only one may be used and various forms of aeroplanes may be provided. and different means may be emp oyed for transmitting power from the motors to the propellers and various other details may varied without departing from the principles of my invention, and I therefore do notdesire to'limit myself as to details as obviouslv they may be .I claim as my invention:

.1. A car mounted on wheels, a shaft supported on the car so that its axis is inclined to the body of the car, propellers arranged. on the shaft, and aeroplanes mounted to freely rotate on the shaft, each of said aeroplanes comprising a hub and blades radially arranged relative to said hub and rigidly connected together.- 2. A car mounted on wheels, a shaft supported on the car and inclined thereto, propellers arranged on the shaft, propellers journaled in the ends of the shaft and aeroplanes mountedto rotate on the shaft, each comprisin a hub, and radially arranged blades rigidfy connected together at their ends.

3. A car mounted on wheels, a hollow shaft sup orted "with its axis inclined to the body of t e'car, propellers journaled on the shaft,

a shaft extending. from each end of said hollow shaft, a propeller secured on the outer end of each shaft, motors, each adapted to drive one of the propellers on the hollow shaft and means movement thereof. A flying machine embracing combiriation wlth a car adapted to travel on the ground of standardsor uprights engaged thereto, adjustable bearings at the outer end of each, a non-rotatable shaft engaged insaid bearings, one or more propellers journaled on said shaft, motors supported by the end standards, adapted to drive said pro ellers, means for controllin the direc'tion o travel of said car and aerop anes inclined relatively to the car and supported to swing on'said non* rotatable shaft.

.6. In a device of the class described the combination with a car, of standards engaged thereto, a shaft supported. thereby at an anglewith the car, a motor carried by one of the standards, a ropellerdriven thereby, aeroplanes on sai shaft each comprising a hub, radially directed blades engaged thereto of different lengths and strengthening cords connecting the ends of said blades in rigid J relation.

7. An aero lane for a device of the class described em racing a hub, radial blades of different lengths and cords connecting the ends of said blades in operative relation. 4 8. An aeroplane for the purposes specified embracing a hub, blades r1 idly secured thereto, rings or hands rigid y oonnectin said blades, shorter blades rigidlyconnecte 'to said-bands orrings having their outer ends 'ap roximately the same dlstance from the and bracingfmeans rigidly connectinghu the blades at the outer extremities. 1

9. An aeroplane-for the purposes s ecified embracing a hub, blades secured t ereto,

means connecting said blades and bracing the sides thereof and bracingmeans connecting the ends of the blades. v

, 10. it car mounted on wheels, standards of different heights secured thereto, ashaft" secured tothe upper ends of the standards havmg its axis dlrectedat an angle with the car,

preventing longitudinal of said standar propellers 'ournaled on said shaft intermediate the en s and at the ends, motors connected to operate the .propellers and aeroplanes mounted on. the shaft, each, com rising blades of different lengths, means rigid y connecting the same at the outer ends and a hub connecting the longest blades.

11. In a device of the classdescribed the combination with a car of standards secured thereto, a shaft secured on the standards, a

naledon the shaft interme iate its ends,

propellers at the ends of said shaft, operative connections between the motors and roellers to actuate the same and ball hearing or the propellers at the ends of the shaft.

13. In a device of the class described the combination with a support of standards secured to the support, -motors secured on part of said standards, a shaft secured to the standards above the motors, propellers journaled on the shaft intermediate its ends, propellers at the ends of said shaft, operative connections between the motors and propellers to actuatethe same, a ball bearing for some of said propellers, aeroplanes adapted to su port the machine and rudders for guid- -in t esame.

n testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed'my name in the presence of two subscribing witnesses. 4 I

v l EWALD E. S TEINHAUS.

Witnesses:

O, W. HILLs, C. K. HANNAH. 

